Unwinding means for wire coils



Jan, 9, 1940. H. c. KOCH UNWINDING MEANS FOR WIRE COILS Filed July 23, 1938 Invent "07! ave We v Patented 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Coburn, Chicago, Ill

Application July as, 193;, Serial No. 220,988

3 Claims.

19 in relatively large coils, an example of which is the wire commonly used for packaging shingles,

which is fairly stiff and provided in coils of approximately twenty inches external diameter.

It is desirable that the minimumresistance to unwinding of the wire from the coil in the pulling on its free end, be presented, and that the wire be drawn smoothly and evenly from the coil without kinking or interlacing of its convolutions and without unwinding from the coil an excess of the wire which would produce piling up of its convolutions, to the end that interruptions in the operations in connection with which the wire is used shall be avoided and the effort required of the operator in drawing the wire from the coil will be minimized.

My object is to provide a device by which the desired results above stated may be accomplished and which may be used in the unwinding of wire coils wound, not only in accordance with the common practice of manufacturers, but also in other ways.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the device showing therein a coil of wire to be unwound.

35 Figure 2 is a view in sectional elevation of the device, the section being taken at the line 2 on Fig. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrow,

the coil being omitted; and

Figure 3, a face view of the device, the view 40 being taken in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1, this view showing the coil omitted except for its free end portion, a portion of the guide means forming a part of the device being broken away and the underlying part sectioned; this view also showing by dotted lines. the position to which a hinged part of the device may be swung preliminary to inserting a coil into the device.

In accordance with the preferred illustrated embodiment of my invention the' device comprises a wire-coil retainer represented generally at 4; a support for the retainer represented at I and adapted to support the retainer in inclined position as shown; and guided means represented at 6 for guiding the free end' of the wire in the operation of drawing the wire from the 00111 The retainer 4 comprises a base portion formed of a spider 1 having radiating arms 8; inner and outer side-wall-forming portions, and a top or .cover portion.

The inner side-wall-forming portion of the retainer is formed of a circumferential series of bars 9 extending upwardly from the arms 8 with a which they are rigidly connected. m

The outer side-wall-forming portion of the retainer is formed of a circumferential series ofbars l extending upwardly from the outer ends of the arms 8; 'a ring formed of two annular sections H and I2, the section II being connected 35 with the upper ends of the bars I0; andthe lower ends of a circumferential series of bars l3to which the ring section I2 is connected.

The top or cover of the retainer is formed of the upper ends of the bars J3 each of which has a portion l4 which inclines'radially inwardly in a direction away from the base portion or the retainer, .the outer terminal ends of the bar-portions I i extending close to the outer terminal ends of the bars 9 but in slightly spaced relation thereto.

The ring sections H and 12 are hingedly connected together as represented at IE to permit the ring section l2 and the top portion of the retainer to be swung into and out of the closedposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and by the full lines in Fig. 3, these parts being shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 in outwardly swung position.

The hinge connection shown comprises a projection l6 rigid on the ring section H, ears I! onthe ring section l2 to receive the projection it between them, and a hinge pin l8 extendin through the projection and ears.

\ A releasable connection represented at I9 is provided between the ring sections at a point do diametrically opposed to the hinge l for holding these parts together in closed position, this connection comprising a projection on the ring section ii extending between ears 2| on the ring section l2 and a removable and replaceable pin 22 extending through the projection and ears.

The guide means 6 comprise a pair of concentric rings 23 and 24 preferably of circular shape in cross section and spaced apart to provide a circular guide opening or slot 25 to receive the free end of the wire; the rings 23 and 24 being rigidlysecured to the. outer terminal ends or the bars Sand I3, respectively, the ring 24 being thus unitary with the swingable section of thesidewall-forming portion of the retainer and its top or cover portion.

The support 5 is shown as formed of a pair of spaced apart angle bars 26 having lower horizontal portions 21 at which the support is connected with the spider I and at which the support rests on the floor, and short upper horizontal portions 28 connected with the spider, whereby the retainer and the parts connected therewith are caused to assume the inclined position referred to to facilitate the desired functioning of the device.

In the use of the device the hinged portion thereof is swung to the dotted position shown in Fig. 3 and the coil of wire represented at 28 passed over the ring 23 and seated in the retainer 4, the coil being retained therein between the inner and outer side-wall-forming portions of the retainer. The hinged portion of the retainer is then swung to the closed position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and by the full lines in Fig. 3 and the free end 30 of the coil 29 inserted through the circular guide slot 25 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

In the use of the wire the operator pulls on the free end thereof, the coil 29 remaining stationary, thus unwinding the wire from the coil, the free end 30 of the wire during this operation travelling in a circular path in the endless slot 25.

The location of the guide slot 25 adjacent the inner side-wall-forming portion of the retainer and thus adjacent the inner periphery of the coil 29, and the provision of the inwardly inclining portions [4 of the top of the retainer, permits 0f the wire being withdrawn from the coil with the minimum of friction and, even when jerked.

without any loose piling up of the wire in the retainer, the wire unwinding substantially directly from the coil, whereby kinking or intertwining of the convolutions is avoided.

Furthermore, no specially wound coil is required for use with the device. The results stated may be accomplished whether the coil is wound in accordance with the general practice of manufacturers in producing wire coils, namely, by

.winding the wire generally in successive layers extending from the bottom to the top of the coil, or by winding the wire in successive layers from the inside to the outside of the coil.

The retainer is preferably provided of openwork construction as shown and described particularly to the end of reducing the weight of the device and the cost of manufacturing it and to enable the operator to readily determine the amount of wire remaining on the coil at any time.

.It will be understood, however, that if desired the structure may be made of solid wall form instead of openwork form.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying my invention and have referred to certain modifications thereof, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit the invention thereto as the structure shown may be variously modified in other ways and the invention embodied in other forms of structure without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a retainer in the form of an annulus, including inner and outer side-wall-forming portions of openwork form, bars connected with the outer side-wall-forming portion of the retainer to extend crosswise of the face of a coil and converging from said outer side-wall-forming portion toward the center of the retainer, and rigid, concentric, closely spaced apart rings carried by the inner side-wall-forming portion of the retainer and by the outer terminal ends of said inclined bars, respectively, and presenting an endless guide slot for the free end of the wire.

2. In a device of the class described, a coil supporting base, a cylindrical coil receiving structure mounted on said base and having a diameter to receive the interior of a coil of wire to be dispensed, a rigid ring carried by the upper edge of said structure, a series of uprights rising from the outer circumferential portion of said base concentric with said structure, to outwardly enclose the coil, the upper portions of said uprights inwardly converging in a frusto-conical surface toward said ring and carrying a rigid ring outwardly spaced from the first named ring little more than the diameter of the wire to be dispensed, at least the converging portions of said uprights and said base relatively separable for insertion of a coil of wire.

3. In a device of the class described, a coil supporting base, a series of uprights in circular arrangement on said base and projecting perpendicular thereto, the diameter of said circular arrangement being such as to substantially fit the interior of a coil of wire to be dispensed; a rigid ring carried by the upper edge of said uprights: a second series of uprights rising from the outer circumferential portion of said base, concentric with the first named uprights; a plurality of members projecting in an inwardly converging frusto-conical surface toward said ring and carrying a rigid ring concentric with, substantially co-planar with, and in outwardly spaced close proximity to the first named ring; said last named uprights and members constituting a coil enclosing structure; a portion of said structure movable relative to said base for introduction of a coil to be dispensed.

HENRY C. KOCH. 

